Digital Photography: Techniques in Getting a Great Picture These days, the biggest sellers in the camera market are the digital SLR cameras. These are the modern gadgets that can trigger our creativity and seats of emotion. Though relatively new, most people choose a DSLR because it can be easily manipulated. However, having these cameras does not completely guarantee that the every captured image is great and perfect. Following are some point by point guidelines that should be considered to help you get the best shot possible:
Zoom in to capture the part you want to emphasize. Thus, irrelevant objects or areas can be taken away or just allow them to soften. The more you use the zoom the better you will be with judging for exactly the right picture.
When capturing a moving object, it is advisable to capture them moving into the imaginary tic-tac-toe frame from one of the two sides. This can be tricky to learn but once you do you will have great action pictures.
Capture a straight line at an angle by moving five to ten feet away to the side to capture at an angle. This will give some depth to your photos.
To add significance or emphasis to an object, take a picture at a lower vantage point. Increasing the height away from the object can reduce its significance. In other words, get on your knees and look up to get that unique shot.
Pick out the dominant objects and arrange them so that they complement each other. However, unbalanced or asymmetrical objects are often more visually stimulating than balanced objects. Group things together and practice this, you will be amazed at the difference in your shots.
You can use the frames of your windows to capture an outdoor scene. You can also use doors and walls of a building to capture a person. If outdoors, find natural ways to frame what you are seeing. Use trees, rocks, mountains or anything that gives you a “frame” affect to your view.
You can use natural lighting when you are taking candid shots so that the subjects will not be bothered by the flash coming out of the camera. If you use a flash, be sure you have considered how the flash will reflect off the things around you. Here again the angle at which you take the picture can make a huge difference in your shot.
The aperture allows light to enter. You must learn how to adjust this properly and appropriately so that images will not appear as either very bright or very dim. Lowering the shutter speed allows the image to be more exposed to light. You must learn the proper length of exposure so that images will not appear as blurry.
Digital cameras have ISO speeds ranging from 100 to 800. The higher the ISO, the higher the camera’s sensitivity to light’s exposure. Be sure to master using this element along with the camera’s aperture and shutter speeds. If you are un-sure of how this all works, ask when you buy your camera or just practice taking pictures at different shutter speeds to see what the difference is going to be.
There are digital cameras that allow additional lenses to be attached to the main lens, or the lenses can be completely interchangeable.
Lenses can be categorized as
• macro lens – allows you to get closer to objects like insects and flowers
• wide-angle lens – used for capturing landmarks, and large and wide sceneries
• telephoto lens – allows longer zooms that let you get close to objects that are rather unsafe
Filters, on the other hand are to
• soften the effect of the image
• provide blurring on the edges for portraits that have sensitive moods
• add light flares for the image to be more dramatic
• reduce glare so that pictures appear more saturated, crisp, and vivid
There is much more you can do to help fix errors or create great pictures. If you still want to improve on the images that you have taken, the following list of software can allow touch-ups and much more. And, there are others out there also but these are some of the more popular ones:
• Adobe Photoshop
• Apple’s iPhoto
• Corel Paint Shop Pro
• Google Picasa
• LView
You should try experimenting with your camera the more you use it the better pictures you will take. Do not be afraid to try a shot, but be prepared with an alternative in case your first shot does not come out right. And have fun, I believe that is the key to about everything, simply have fun using your camera and you will get great shots.
